Scotland's Most Topical Joke... Scottish Labour

Politics is cruel and unforgiving, as witnessed at Thursday's general election; the electorate don't suffer fools gladly. Scottish Labour have been on a slippery slope since they jumped into bed with the Tories and clambered over each other to decry those desirous of independence in Scotland. The Better Together campaign found its foundation in negativity and peddled fears of a Celtic cataclysm which would see businesses fleeing Scotland, banks climbing over themselves to empty coffers north of Hadrian's Wall and Scottish homes unable to receive transmissions of Eastenders and Top Gear.

The vigour at which Scottish Labour leapt behind the bourgeois Better Together fable and repeated and perpetuated the myths whispered by Tory grandees over dinner in the City of London, meant that Labour's days would be numbered north of the border. Scottish Labour is a dying dog decaying from the inside out.

Following the annihilation of Scottish Labour on Thursday, its leader Jim Murphy had the brass neck, despite losing his East Renfrewshire seat, to proclaim that he would be clinging on to power and would be leading the party into the Scottish Parliament elections in 2016. One may have thought that Jim Murphy would have fallen on his sword and bowed out in a calm, collected and dignified manner but no, Jim wants to stay put and try and turn the party's fortunes around.

I'm not a fan of change for changes sake but when a party leader presides over an election which sees all but one of their 41 seats being lost; it's gone past the point of tinkering around the edges. Ordinarily one would suggest looking to deputies for future leaders of the party but considering Labour's Kezia Dugdale MSP-cum-columnist is still peddling the myth that by voting SNP, we ushered in a Tory government in Westminster. This is no longer about mere political rhetoric and party politics; this is a matter of simple mathematics and is indicative of a constipated party crumbling under the ego of a failed leader and a graveyard of policies and ideology which no longer applies to or captivates the Scottish electorate.

ADVERTISEMENT

I voted Labour for years and was once a proud trade unionist and die-hard labour member, when I look at Scottish Labour now I see a desperate party on its knees which is focussed on peddling myths, distorting the truth and refusing to work in a meaningful way with other parties and organisations. Rather than viewing First Minister Questions as a circus and a platform to pontificate on television and score points, egos should be parked at the door and the real issues affecting the Scottish people should feature first and foremost.

For too long Labour, as a national party, has tried to be everything to everyone and pitch itself as an antidote to the cruel and bitter Tory cuts, while at the same time joining the Tories in smears, knee-jerk reactions and adopting shiny posters and Americanised slogans supposedly designed to appeal to voters.

Scottish Labour needs to cut the dead wood from the party, change the captain and generals, embark on a period of introspection and emerge as a strong, focussed, energised party which puts the wants and needs of Scottish people first and foremost. This couldn't be achieved while still being viewed by the Scottish people as the Scottish branch of the English Labour party. Real and meaningful change is needed and if Labour wants to emerge as a strong and effective opposition then change should be their number one priority.